Startup Perplexity takes on Google search

The probability of me saving a Messi penalty kick is 0.001%. I’m still ready to challenge him & bet $74 Million on it.

That’s how it feels as startup Perplexity takes on Google search.

Aravind Srinivas (an alumnus from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras) and his startup Perplexity have decided to ask Google a few questions the tech giant might not be willing to answer.

When we search for something on Google, we check through the links and find the most appropriate answer.

Come to think about it, Google is just the middleman to our answer.

Perplexity is trying to cut the middle man by simply giving you the answer to your question. No links, just references.

But still, Google has a 90% market share. No one in their right mind can fund a startup taking on the ‘Google Search’… until they do.

Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, Susan Wojcicki and other investors decided to take part in the recent $74 million series B for Perplexity 😲

But doesn’t Google seem invincible?

It does but so did Nokia (and Blackberry and Kodak…)

Perplexity boasted 500 Mn+ searches in 2023. But they fall short of Google’s 8.5 Billion a day.

The amateur has its homework cut out:

👉 Create a profitable and sustainable business model.

👉 Fight with Google’s AI efforts

👉 Keep reinventing & to make sure it doesn’t become another forgotten competitor like Ask, Yahoo or Neeva.

Is there a future where a small startup can eat into Google’s 90% search share?